The medspa industry is booming. You see them on every corner, in dermatologists’ offices, in the strip malls and even roving Botox® nurses. Medical aesthetic treatments are very common, safe and effective. But how can you know which organization to trust with your skin and body? How can you be sure the treatments recommended are going to deliver results? Which providers should you trust?

Why This Is Important

Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It’s in every selfie you take and it’s the same skin that you had in high school and the same skin that will be with you in your retirement years. Your skin’s health is so very important, not only because of how you look, but also because your skin is your body’s first defense against outside attacks of bacteria, contaminants, sun damage and more.

Skin maintenance and care should be as routine as an oil change for your car or for getting your hair touched up, but who do you trust with this vital organ? You wouldn’t take your car to a bicycle shop for an oil change would you?

It is important to become an educated and empowered consumer so that you feel confident choosing a provider. Medical aesthetics services and treatments, though often minimally invasive or non-invasive are still addressing your skin’s health. Not all practices, procedures, techniques or technology are the same. We’ve created a handy, downloadable checklist with 4 key things to consider to actively participate in your medspa consultation.

What to Expect in a MedSpa Consultation

Not all medspas are the same. In some cases if you express a desire to purchase Botox® or filler injections you will simply be scheduled for the service and speak to the provider at the appointment. 

This is more of a transactional type of model, in which it is up to the consumer to know what they need and want and what type of treatment best suits those goals.

In a consultative model, the staff will:

1. Sit down with you and discover, together, what your personal concerns and goals for treatment are. The goal with this type of medspa is to offer an overall ultimate outcome (results) that you desire, rather than just selling treatments.
2. Then you will spend some time learning about all the various ways to address those concerns and achieve your goals.
3. Thus armed with information and with a partner in your success, together you can craft a treatment plan based on your timing, desires and budget.

Many patients don’t even know how to express their concerns because this is not a common, everyday topic. We don’t like to analyze our skin and pick out the flaws. Many people don’t even talk to their girlfriends or family about skin problems, aging and what can be done to prevent it. We don’t want to hear that maybe there isn’t a treatment for THAT particular problem area…and we certainly don’t want to admit we are seeing the signs of aging. This is why the consultation experience can be so useful for the consumer.

Common Concerns

There are very common concerns that patients bring to the consultation. Most everyone has some of the following but may not yet be able to articulate it. Frequently patients express that they just don’t look fresh or happy like they did in the past. We hear:

• I look tired all the time
• I look grumpy all the time
• When did that happen?? “smokers” lines above the lips, thin lips
• I am unhappy with crows feet, lines between the brows or on the forehead
• I feel my face is sagging around the jawline
• My neck is getting lost, there is a loss of chin definition
• My skin looks “rough”, not smooth and the color is uneven
• Why do I have these dark spots and very light spots
• My neck looks dry all the time and wrinkly
• Suddenly I have wrinkles on my chest! Why? How can I get rid of them?
• My kid said, ‘Mom your hands look like grandmas’
• I have an event coming up and I want to look my best
• I want to look as youthful and alive as I feel
• I can’t get rid of the fat around my knees or my belly, help!
• I am so tired of shaving my [legs, back, arms, face, neck]
• I am a leader in my company and I need to look my best
• I take care of so many people and I need to take care of myself
• I don’t even know the basics of good skin health, where to begin
• I suffer from frequent UTI’s and stress incontinence, is there a treatment for that?
• I suffer from adult acne and I’m over it

The above are some of the issues that can be addressed with treatments at a medspa.

The aesthetic and medspa industry is growing at an unparalleled rate with ‘medspas’ and aesthetic practices popping up all over. Some do not not employ qualified individuals to perform the services, some do not know proper ratios for injections for Botox® and fillers, some do not source their products from reputable companies and a myriad of other concerns arise. Download our comprehensive, free checklist of what to look for at a MedSpa consultation.